>>MUSIC

INTERPOL - Turn on the Bright Lights

1.		Untitled
2.		Obstacle 1
3.		NYC
4.		PDA
5.		Say Hello To The Angels
6.		Hands Away
7.		Obstacle 2
8.		Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down
9.		Roland
10.		New, The
11.		Leif Erikson

The band, in essence, do share some of the retrospective qualities of the Strokes and The White Stripes, but their influences can be traced way back to the Madchester dreampop scene, their ballads being strikingly Joy Division-esque. This element gives Interpol a different edge when compared to the aforementioned acts.

Formed during 1998, the band's original line-up featured New York University students Paul Banks (vocals/guitar), Daniel Kessler (guitar), Carlos Dengler (bass), and a drummer known simply as "Greg". The quartet spent the next two years finding their footing musically and jamming in run-down rehearsal rooms, before Greg was replaced by Sam Fogarino (who the others knew from a record store they frequented). Interpol almost immediately began playing local live shows, and landed opening gigs for national acts such as And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Arab Strap, and the Delgados. The same year as Fogarino's entrance, Interpol was featured on the third part of Chemikal Underground's ongoing Fukd I.D. EP series, which received attention on the UK underground music scene. Interpol played a series of shows in England during the spring of 2001, as well as a studio session for disc jockey John Peel. The quartet's inaugural overseas visit was so successful that they were invited back during the summer to play festival gigs in France, despite not having an album in the stores.

That all soon changed, as Interpol was signed by Matador Records, who released a self-titled EP in 2002, which was followed up by Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights.

DISCOGRAPHY: Turn On The Bright Lights (Matador 2002) *****

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